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There is not a welfare protocol for horses reared for meat production in semi-extensive systems. The aims of the study were to develop a specific welfare protocol suitable to be applied at pasture and on stable; and to evaluate whether the welfare items were influenced by the farming system (pasture vs stable). 52 non-animal-based measures (N-ABMs) and 14 animal-based measures (ABMs), classified into 6 thematic areas (training, feeding, facilities, ABMs, biosecurity, health management) were selected by a focus group. The protocol was applied on a total of 429 Catria horses located across 26 pastures during the warm seasons and on 7 stables during the cold seasons. Differences obtained within each horse-unit were calculated by using the diversity index (VARNC) and the distance from the ideal (dfi) index. Chi-square test was used for comparing the relative frequencies (%) of the answers (pasture vs stable). Most the welfare items were classified as adequate in both pasture and stable, yet differences were found within 'training' (p = 0.02) and 'feeding' (p < 0.01) areas in relation to the welfare items 'inspection of the animals' and 'feeding management'. Weaknesses of both pasture and stable were represented by some welfare items in the 'health management' and 'biosecurity' areas. After proper validation, the welfare protocol developed in the present study could help to fill the existing gap of knowledge on horse welfare assessment for semi-extensive system systems, providing support for official control of veterinarians and enabling the identification of key weakness to address preventive interventions. HIGHLIGHTS: A welfare protocol suitable for pasture and stable was developed Key weakness can be identified to address preventive interventions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that super-hydrophobic materials have a wide application prospect. However, many methods for preparing super-amphiphobic coatings are too complicated or have poor stability, which limits the practical application of super-amphiphobic materials. In this paper, a stable and durable super-amphiphobic coating is prepared on the fabric surface via a simple sol-gel method. The water and vegetable oil contact angles of this coating are 160.5 ± 0.8° and 154.8 ± 2.6°, respectively. Specifically, the super-amphiphobic coating is prepared by grafting nano-silica on the surface of the fabric by a simple sol-gel method, and then grafted 1H, 1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane (FAS-17) as a hydrophobic modifier. After various chemical and mechanical stability tests, including concentrated ammonia solution soaking, saturated sodium hydroxide solution soaking, concentrated salt solution soaking, and THF soaking with stirring, the coating still maintains hydrophobicity. And the coating has excellent air permeability, which is expected to have great potential in the field of special protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major challenges in QLED research is improving the stability of the devices. In this study, we fabricated all inorganic quantum-dot light emitting diodes (QLEDs) using hafnium oxide (HfOx) as the hole transport layer (HTL), a material commonly used for insulator. Oxygen vacancies in HfOx create defect states below the Fermi level, providing a pathway for hole injection. The concentration of these oxygen vacancies can be controlled by the annealing temperature. We optimized the all-inorganic QLEDs with HfOx as the HTL by changing the annealing temperature. The optimized QLEDs with HfOx as the HTL showed a maximum luminance and current efficiency of 66,258 cd/m2 and 9.7 cd/A, respectively. The fabricated all-inorganic QLEDs exhibited remarkable stability, particularly when compared to devices using organic materials for the HTL. Under extended storage in ambient conditions, the all-inorganic device demonstrated a significantly enhanced operating lifetime (T50) of 5.5 h, which is 11 times longer than that of QLEDs using an organic HTL. These results indicate that the all-inorganic QLEDs structure, with ITO/MoO3/HfOx/QDs/ZnMgO/Al, exhibits superior stability compared to organic-inorganic hybrid QLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inclusion of lead in the Champion perovskite material MAPbI3 is a detrimental factor in the commercialization of lead based perovskite solar cells. This is mainly due to the toxicity of lead and also due to degradation of MAPbI3 in ambient condition into hazardous chemicals which are toxic to the environment [1]. Due to these factors, though the Hybrid Organic Inorganic Lead based PSCs exhibit excellent photovoltaic effect and photo conversion efficiency (PCE), yet numerous theoretical and experimental studies have been done to replace lead with suitable elements such as Sn, Ge, Bi etc. This research work focusses on replacing Pb from MAPbI3, with different wt% of Bi such as 1%, 2%, 4% and 8% and analyzing its effect on the stability and efficiency of the PSC. These solutions of Bi doped perovskite are coated on the FTOs and are fabricated under room ambient condition in the sandwich structure. The results exhibit lower efficiency of Bismuth doped PSCs but it shows remarkable stability comparable to that of MAPbI3.

Efficient, low-cost photocatalysts with mild synthesis conditions and stable photocatalytic behavior have always been the focus in the field of photocatalysis. This study proves that non-quantum-dot Cs2PbI2Cl2-based materials, created by a simple method, can be successfully employed as new high-efficient photocatalysts. The results demonstrate that two-dimensional Cs2PbI2Cl2 perovskite can achieve over three times higher photocatalytic performance compared to three-dimensional CsPbBr3 perovskite. Moreover, the photocatalytic performance of Cs2PbI2Cl2 can be further improved by constructing a heterojunction structure, such as Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbBr3. Cs2PbI2Cl2 can connect well with CsPbBr3 through a simple method, resulting in tight bonding at the interface and efficient carrier transfer. Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbBr3 exhibits notable 5-fold and 10-fold improvements in photocatalytic performance and rate compared to CsPbBr3. Additionally, Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbBr3 demonstrates superb stable catalytic performance, with nearly no decrease in photocatalytic performance after 7 months (RH = 20% ± 10, T = 25 °C ± 5). This study also reveals that the photocatalytic process based on Cs2PbI2Cl2/CsPbBr3 can directly oxidize organic matter using holes, without relying on the generation of intermediate reactive oxygen species from water or oxygen (such as ·OH or ·O2−), showcasing further potential for achieving high photocatalytic efficiency and selectivity in anhydrous/anaerobic catalytic reactions and treating recalcitrant pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Plant Production is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Organic–inorganic hybrid dielectric nanomaterials are vital for OTFT applications due to their unique combination of organic dielectric and inorganic properties. Despite the challenges in preparing stable titania (TiO2) nanoparticles, we successfully synthesized colloidally stable organic–inorganic (O-I) TiO2 hybrid nanoparticles using an amphiphilic polymer as a stabilizer through a low-temperature sol–gel process. The resulting O-I TiO2 hybrid sols exhibited long-term stability and formed a high-quality dielectric layer with a high dielectric constant (κ) and minimal leakage current density. We also addressed the effect of the ethylene oxide chain within the hydrophilic segment of the amphiphilic polymer on the dielectric properties of the coating film derived from O-I TiO2 hybrid sols. Using the O-I TiO2 hybrid dielectric layer with excellent insulating properties enhanced the electrical performance of the gate dielectrics, including superior field-effect mobility and stable operation in OTFT devices. We believe that this study provides a reliable method for the preparation of O-I hybrid TiO2 dielectric materials designed to enhance the operational stability and electrical performance of OTFTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Vitiligo is a complex dermatosis with an uncertain etiology, variable clinical presentations, an unpredictable course and prognosis, and difficult to treat. Surgical intervention is recommended for patients with a stable, nonprogressive vitiligo. Dermoscopy can detect the subtle changes in the pigmentary pattern and aid in the diagnosis of evolving lesions. This study was undertaken to measure the stability of the disease by classifying the patients as clinically stable and active and observing dermatological parameters. Objective: The aim of the study is to evaluate assess the correlation between the clinical and dermoscopic features in stable and active cases of vitiligo. Materials and Methods: Forty patients of vitiligo. Clinical VIDA score and six lesional and perilesional dermoscopic parameters were analyzed. Statistical analysis was done to determine their correlation. Results: Altered pigment network (91.6%) was the most observed dermoscopic feature followed by perifollicular depigmentation (66.7%) in clinically unstable patients and altered pigment network (87.5%) followed by leucotrichia (68.8%) was seen in clinically stable patients. However, vascularity and Koebner's phenomena failed to produce the same. Conclusion: Lesional and perilesional dermoscopic examination together for the above four parameters (pigmentary network, perifollicular changes, perilesional hypopigmentary macules, and leucotrichia) will produce reliable diagnostic approach for differentiating patients as clinically stable or unstable along with clinical VIDA score.

M Patrick Witvliet,1,2 E Karin Arkenbout,3 Pieter W Kamphuisen1,4 1Department of Internal Medicine, Tergooi Medical Center, Hilversum, the Netherlands; 2Department of General Practice, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; 3Department of Cardiology, Tergooi Medical Center, Hilversum, the Netherlands; 4Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsCorrespondence: M Patrick Witvliet, Department of Internal Medicine, Tergooi Medical Center, Laan van Tergooi 2, 1212 VG, Hilversum, the Netherlands, Tel +31 205664271, Email m.p.witvliet@amsterdamumc.nlBackground: The coronary artery calcium (CAC) score can be used to increase (CAC score > 0) or decrease (CAC score = 0) the likelihood of coronary artery disease (CAD). We compared the CAC score with the pre-test probability (PTP) for CAD (low, intermediate, and high). Furthermore, we compared the CAC score with exercise electrocardiography (ECG) and compared both tests with coronary angiography.Methods and Results: We retrospectively identified patients with angina and/or dyspnea for whom CAC score was used to increase or decrease the likelihood of CAD. Of 882 patients, majority had low (45%) or intermediate (44%) PTP. Patients with higher PTP had significantly higher CAC scores (Cramer’s V = 0.29, p < 0.0001). Most patients (57%) had a CAC score of zero, especially those with low (73%) and intermediate (49%) PTP. However, 20% of patients with high PTP had CAC score of zero. Higher CAC scores were observed in patients with abnormal exercise ECG, but association was weak and not significant (Cramer’s V = 0.13, p = 0.08). Moreover, more than 40% of patients with an abnormal exercise ECG had CAC score of zero. Higher CAC scores were associated with more severe abnormalities on coronary angiography (Cramer’s V = 0.43, p < 0.0001), whereas there was no association between results of exercise ECG and coronary angiography (Cramer’s V = 0.11, p = 0.91).Conclusion: CAC score can be used in addition to PTP to increase or decrease the likelihood of CAD, and it might be more useful than exercise ECG in the diagnostic work-up of chest pain.Keywords: coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease, CT, risk factors, angina, stable

Copyright of Veterinaria is the property of University of Sarajevo, Veterinary Faculty and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article deals with the qualitative analysis of a general class of difference equations. That is, we examine the periodicity nature and the stability character of some non-linear second-order difference equations. Homogeneous functions are used while examining the character of the solutions of introduced difference equations. Moreover, a new technique available in the literature is used to examine the periodic solutions of these equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a variational problem for hypersurfaces in a wedge in the Euclidean space. Our wedge is bounded by a finitely many hyperplanes passing a common point. The total energy of each hypersurface is the sum of its anisotropic surface energy and the wetting energy of the planar domain bounded by the boundary of the considered hypersurface. An anisotropic surface energy is a generalization of the surface area which was introduced to model the surface tension of a small crystal. We show an existence and uniqueness result of local minimizers of the total energy among hypersurfaces enclosing the same volume. Our result is new even when the special case where the surface energy is the surface area.

As a free-ranging, social species, the housing of horses (Equus caballus) may limit their opportunity to display natural behaviour, compromising well-being. This review records and presents studies that have investigated horse housing design, evaluates the location and number of studies carried out to date, and reports the methods used to assess impact on equine well-being. A Boolean search was conducted in two databases: Web of Science and Scopus, filtered according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, resulting in 60 peer-reviewed papers for evaluation. Key findings are that a significant amount of work to date has been carried out in Europe and the USA, and the frequency of horse housing studies has steadily increased over the last 33 years, with 52% of them occurring in the last eight years. Health and welfare measures indicate benefits of housing horses in more natural management systems, particularly with conspecifics. Generally, the studies reviewed were only conducted in the short term, therefore future research should aim to increase the length of time over which housing is evaluated, particularly to ensure studies continue beyond an adaptation period. The review also highlights a requirement for more standardised methodology in housing welfare evaluation to allow for more meaningful comparisons to be made. Studies seeking to improve horse welfare in existing housing systems, in the face of limited space or other management constraints, are of high value to the end user and are encouraged. The studies reviewed here represent a significant and diverse body of work from which gaps in knowledge and future research directions can be determined.

To compare the efficacy of plain x-ray images and computed tomography (CT) to assess the morphology of the lateral wall (LW) component of intertrochanteric (IT) femur fractures and determine predictors of early fixation failure.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingLevel-one trauma center.Patients/participantsOne hundred forty-two adult patients with IT fractures treated with either a sliding hip screw (SHS) or a cephalomedullary nail (CMN) who had both pre-op plain x-ray images and CT scans with at least 6 weeks of follow-up were reviewed.InterventionPreoperative CT scan and plain radiographs of the affected hip.Main outcome measurementsLateral wall assessment based on plain x-rays versus CT imaging in relation to implant failure.ResultsOne hundred forty-two patients met inclusion criteria, 105 patients treated with a CMN, and 37 with a SHS. There was a poor correlation between the assessment of the LW on plain x-ray images and CT scans. Failures in the SHS group were significantly associated with all CT measurements (P

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials continue to attract significant interest due to their optoelectronic application. However, the degradation phenomenon associated with hybrid structures remains a challenging aspect of commercialization. To overcome the stability issue, we have assembled the methylammonium lead bromide nano islands (MNIs) on the backbone of poly-3-dodecyl-thiophene (PDT) for the first time. The structural and morphological properties of the MNI-PDT composite were confirmed with the aid of X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The optical properties, namely absorption studies, were carried out by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The fluorescent behavior is determined by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The emission peak for the MNI-PDT was observed at 536 nm. The morphology studies supported by FESEM indicated that the nano islands are completely covered on the surface of the polymer backbone, making the hybrid (MNI-PDT) stable under environmental conditions for three months. The interfacial interaction strategy developed in the present work will provide a new approach for the stabilization of hybrids for a longer time duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We establish a stability theorem for geometric separating flows on metric spaces, which may or may not be compact. Notably, this result extends Thomas' stability theorem (Proc London Math Soc. 45:479–505 1982). To prove our theorem, we employ set-valued analysis (Aubin and Frankowska, 1990). We give some applications of our result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Roman dominating function (RDF) on a graph G is a function f:V(G)→{0,1,2} such that every vertex with label 0 has a neighbor with label 2. A vertex u with f(u)=0 is said to be undefended if it is not adjacent to a vertex with f(v)>0. The function f:V(G)→{0,1,2} is a weak Roman dominating function (WRDF) if each vertex u with f(u)=0 is adjacent to a vertex v with f(v)>0 such that the function f′:V(G)→{0,1,2} defined by f′(u)=1, f′(v)=f(v)-1 and f′(w)=f(w) if w∈V-{u,v}, has no undefended vertex. A graph G is said to be Roman domination stable upon edge addition, or just γR -EA-stable, if γR(G+e)=γR(G) for any edge e∉E(G). We extend this concept to a weak Roman dominating function as follows: A graph G is said to be weak Roman domination stable upon edge addition, or just γr -EA-stable, if γr(G+e)=γr(G) for any edge e∉E(G). In this paper, we study γr -EA-stable graphs, obtain bounds for γr -EA-stable graphs and characterize γr -EA-stable trees which attain the bound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Idiopathic slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a known disorder in pre/adolescent children with vague hip/knee pain. We wished to study the demographic differences between stable varus, unstable varus, and valgus idiopathic SCFEs using a retrospective review over a 10-year period of SCFE children seen at a tertiary children's hospital. Standard demographic data was collected, and radiographs were measured to determine the Southwick angle and status of the tri-radiate cartilage. There were 190 patients; 138 had stable varus SCFEs, 45 unstable varus SCFEs, and 7 valgus SCFEs. All unstable SCFEs were varus, and all valgus SCFEs were stable. There were significant differences between the three groups by age at diagnosis, sex, race, SCFE severity, weight percentile, and duration of symptoms. The average age at diagnosis was 11.0 ± 1.2, 11.8 ± 1.8, and 12.3 ± 1.7 years for the valgus, unstable varus, and stable varus groups (p = 0.019), and similarly, SCFE severity was 25° ± 15°, 48° ± 18°, and 35° ± 19° (p = 0.0002) for the three same groups. Patients with valgus SCFEs were mostly female (86%) compared to the stable varus (39.9%) and unstable (47%) groups (p = 0.05) and mostly non-White (86%) (0.011). The duration of symptoms was 4.1 ± 4.1, 2.3 ± 5.0, and 4.5 ± 5.0 months for the valgus, unstable varus, and stable varus groups (p = 0.00005). These three types of idiopathic SCFEs demonstrated differences by age at diagnosis, sex, race, weight percentile, and duration of symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work is to investigate the multi-dimensional Black-Scholes partial differential equation with variable coefficients numerically. The problem is of practical importance due to option pricing at the presence of multi assets. Since by increasing the dimension, the curse of dimensionality restricts the computations, the proposed solver will be constructed based on sparse arrays. Toward this goal, fourth-order finite difference approximations on graded meshes are introduced and then employed through semi-discretization. Then a sixth-order Runge-Kutta solver is employed for finding the resolution of the derived set of ordinary differential equations. The stability of the proposed scheme is furnished in detail as well. Numerical testings are given to uphold the accuracy and efficacy of the proposed procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CoFe/Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 S@NS-CNTs/CC exhibits an ultralow overpotential of 110 mV at 10 mA•cm−2 and a stable operation for 300 h at a large current density of 500 mA•cm−2. DFT calculations reveal that bimetal components, the build-in interfacial potential and surface chemical reconstruction can adjust Fermi levels to optimize the thermodynamic formation of O* to OOH*, thus enhancing the intrinsic activity. [Display omitted] • CF/CFS@NS-CNTs/CC achieves with an ultralow overpotential of 110 mV at 10 mA•cm−2. • Stable operation for 300 h at 500 mA•cm−2 and 788 h for Zn-air battery. • The stability is due to carbon layer and binding force between catalyst and matrix. • The property is due to interface electronic interaction and surface reconstruction. The realization of durable and efficient oxygen evolution reactions (OER) at large current densities and low overpotentials is of significant importance but remains a great challenge. In this study, a CoFe/Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 S@NS-CNTs/CC (CF/CFS@NS-CNTs/CC) heterogeneous structure was fabricated by isolating CoFe/Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 S (CF/CFS) particles locked in nitrogen/sulfur codoped carbon nanotubes (NS-CNTs). Appreciable oxygen evolution reaction activity and durability was achieved with an ultralow overpotential of 110 mV at 10 mA•cm−2. The operation was stable for 300 h at a current density of 500 mA•cm−2. The structure was then assembled into a zinc-air battery (ZAB), which delivered a high power density of 194 mW•cm−2, a specific capacity of 837.3 mAh•g Zn -1, and stable operation for 788 h without obvious voltage attenuation and altered morphology. The electronic interactions were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which revealed that both the bimetal components and the synergistic effect at the interface stimulated the transfer of Co and Fe sites to higher chemical valence states. Theoretical calculations indicated that the synergistic effect of the bimetal components, build-in interfacial potential, and surface chemical reconstruction adjusted the Fermi level to optimize the thermodynamic formation of O* to OOH*, thus enhancing the intrinsic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy demand generated by fossil fuels is increasing day by day, and it has drastically increased after the COVID-19 pandemic as industries and household utilities rejuvenate. Renewable sources are thus becoming more essential as easily available, alternative methods of low-cost energy generation. Among these renewables, solar energy, i.e., solar power, is a promising energy source and can be used for solar-based H2 evolution because H2 technology is a leading source of eco-friendly electricity generation, and most of the worldwide efforts to develop this method involve heterogeneous catalysis for H2 evolution via water splitting and its storage, i.e., using a fuel cell. In the current scenario, there is a need to develop a stable, recyclable, and reusable heterogeneous catalyst system, which is a great challenge. In the current study, we have focused on novel ferrite magnetic nanomaterials for recyclable and reusable robust photocatalysis. Moreover, discussions of the factors contributing to the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, low-cost synthesis techniques, and prospects for making them ideal photocatalysts are uncommon in the literature. The study will impart possible approaches for the design and development of novel ferrite nanomaterials and their nanocomposites for H2 generation in the forthcoming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Vitiligo is a chronic acquired disorder resulting from the destruction of epidermal melanocytes owing to multifactorial causes. Various cytokines play a central role in its pathogenesis. Interleukin (IL)-33 has an essential role in different autoimmune diseases; however, scarce data are available about its role in vitiligo as an activity marker. Objective To evaluate serum IL-33 levels in patients with active and stable vitiligo. Patients and methods A case-control study was conducted on 75 participants: 25 patients with active nonsegmental vitiligo (NSV), 25 with stable NSV, and 25 age-matched and sexmatched controls. The disease characteristics of vitiligo were reported regarding activity, duration, type, and extent. The vitiligo disease activity (VIDA) score was used to evaluate the disease activity. The serum level of IL-33 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in all groups. Results The serum IL-33 levels showed no significant difference (P=0.996) between active cases (mean=1378±1102.66 ng/l) and stable NSV cases (mean=1397±948.97 ng/l); however, a highly significant difference (P<0.001) was found between active/stable cases and controls (mean=230.00±55.90 ng/l). No relation was found between IL-33 levels and the patient's age (P=0.288), duration of vitiligo (P=0.67), duration of last activity (P=0.149), VIDA score (P=0.377), vitiligo extent (P=0.377), sex (P=0.217), or vitiligo types (P=0.383). Conclusion IL-33 may have a pivotal role in the immune dysregulation of NSV vitiligo. However, it cannot be used as a discriminating serum marker between active and stable cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the fact that flexible temperature sensors, which can be mechanically deformed, are used for the fabrication of next‐generation smart electronics over the past few years, the improvement in their sensitivity and stability remains a major challenge. Along these lines, in this work, an all‐inorganic flexible temperature sensor consisting of MnCoNiO (MCNO) spinel structural ceramics film and a flexible 40 µm‐thick mica substrate is fabricated. By precisely controlling the production process, the pure spinel phase MCNO/mica films with low defect density can be obtained. In addition, the activation energy of the proposed flexible ceramic temperature sensor film remains stable in the natural bending state and at radii of curvature of 10, 15, and 20 mm, respectively, accordingly, B25/50 is relatively stable around the range of 3450–3550 K. Meanwhile, its sensitivity temperature coefficient of resistance value reaches −3.9% °C−1. More specifically, ΔB25/50 is less than 1.83%, 1.57%, and 1.32% after thermal shock, application of the bending cycle, and vibration, respectively. The superior performance of this all‐inorganic ceramic film is due to the excellent bonding between the film and the substrate. This work provides an alternative approach to exploit the development of the next‐generation high‐sensitivity flexible electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this manuscript is to review recent trends in the management of acute type B aortic dissection. Due to its efficacy and low morbidity, thoracic endografting has rapidly been adopted as the treatment of choice for most patients with malperfusion or rupture as a consequence of acute aortic dissection. This technology is increasingly applied to patients without rupture or malperfusion, so-called "uncomplicated" dissections, to reduce the incidence of late aneurysmal degeneration in the ungrafted segments of the thoracoabdominal aorta. A variety of techniques have been proposed, including intentional rupture of the dissection membrane to obliterate the false lumen as well as the candy-plug technique to eliminate retrograde flow in the false lumen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Heston–Hull–White three-dimensional time-dependent partial differential equation (PDE) is one of the important models in mathematical finance, at which not only the volatility is modeled based on a stochastic process but also the rate of interest is assumed to follow a stochastic dynamic. Hence, an efficient method is derived in this paper based on the methodology of the localized radial basis function generated finite difference (RBF-FD) scheme. The proposed solver uses the RBF-FD approximations on graded meshes along all three spatial variables and a high order time-stepping scheme. Stability is also studied in detail to show under what conditions the proposed method is stable. Computational simulations are given to support the theoretical discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is widely used in the diagnostic work-up of patients with stable chest pain. CCTA has an excellent negative predictive value, but a moderate positive predictive value for detecting coronary stenosis. Computed tomography-derived fractional flow reserve (FFRct) is a non-invasive, well-validated technique that provides functional assessment of coronary stenosis, improving the positive predictive value of CCTA. However, to determine the value of FFRct in routine clinical practice, a pragmatic randomised, controlled trial (RCT) is required. We will conduct an RCT to investigate the impact of adding FFRct analysis in the diagnostic pathway of patients with a coronary stenosis on CCTA on the rate of unnecessary invasive coronary angiography, cost-effectiveness, quality of life and clinical outcome. Methods: The FUSION trial is a prospective, multicentre RCT that will randomise 528 patients with stable chest pain and anatomical stenosis of ≥ 50% but < 90% in at least one coronary artery of ≥ 2 mm on CCTA, to FFRct-guided care or usual care in a 1:1 ratio. Follow-up will be 1 year. The primary endpoint is the rate of unnecessary invasive coronary angiography within 90 days. Conclusion: The FUSION trial will evaluate the use of FFRct in stable chest pain patients from the Dutch perspective. The trial is funded by the Dutch National Health Care Institute as part of the research programme 'Potentially Promising Care' and the results will be used to assess if FFRct reimbursement should be included in the standard health care package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of COPD by interfering with the protease/antiprotease and oxidant/antioxidant balance. There is no adequate data about the relationship between oxidative stress biomarkers and FEV1 values in stable COPD patients. Prospective cohort study, designed in tertiary care chest disease hospitals' outpatient clinic. COPD patients were approved informed consent were included in the study. The total antioxidant status (TAS,), total oxidant status (TOS), total thiol (TT), native thiol (NT), IL1 IL6, and TNFα levels were measured. The mean age of 33 COPD patients who joined the study was 61±9,32 years, while their average body mass index (BMI) was 27±4,31 kg/m2. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of age, gender, weight, smoking status and comorbidities. According to the results of the analysis, there was a statistically significant difference in TOS, TAS, oxidative stress index (OSI), TT, NT, DIS, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα between the control and COPD patient groups (p [Med-Science 2022; 11(2.000): 770-74]

Abstract Despite the fact that flexible temperature sensors, which can be mechanically deformed, are used for the fabrication of next‐generation smart electronics over the past few years, the improvement in their sensitivity and stability remains a major challenge. Along these lines, in this work, an all‐inorganic flexible temperature sensor consisting of MnCoNiO (MCNO) spinel structural ceramics film and a flexible 40 µm‐thick mica substrate is fabricated. By precisely controlling the production process, the pure spinel phase MCNO/mica films with low defect density can be obtained. In addition, the activation energy of the proposed flexible ceramic temperature sensor film remains stable in the natural bending state and at radii of curvature of 10, 15, and 20 mm, respectively, accordingly, B25/50 is relatively stable around the range of 3450–3550 K. Meanwhile, its sensitivity temperature coefficient of resistance value reaches −3.9% °C−1. More specifically, ΔB25/50 is less than 1.83%, 1.57%, and 1.32% after thermal shock, application of the bending cycle, and vibration, respectively. The superior performance of this all‐inorganic ceramic film is due to the excellent bonding between the film and the substrate. This work provides an alternative approach to exploit the development of the next‐generation high‐sensitivity flexible electronic devices.

Titanium-oxo-clusters (TOCs), due to its precise, tunable structure and rich properties, have been widely used in many fields. However, application of TOCs is greatly limited in biomedical area owing to the impact of its own performances, for example, unstable structure, lack of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties required as biomedical materials. In this work, we developed a novel stable, excellent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties Ag-Titanium-oxo-cluster (Ag-TOC, Ag9Ti4) with active site Ag and salicylic acid by one-step solvothermal method, through introducing silver and salicylic acid. Then, the Ag9Ti4 cluster was introduced into the dopamine-containing hydrogel system, the results in vitro indicated this Ag9Ti4 cluster hydrogel system possesses good antibacterial and photothermal properties. Moreover, the results in vivo indicated the Ag9Ti4 hydrogel system showed better anti-inflammatory and wound healing ability under NIR condition. Combined with its excellent properties, we believed that the construction of antibacterial, photothermal and stable Ag-TOC hydrogel system can provide a new strategy for the expanding biomedical applications of TOCs.

A set S ⊆ V (G) of an undirected graph G is a locating-dominating set of G if for each v ∈ V (G) \ S, there exists w ∈ S such tha vw ∈ E(G) and NG(x) ∩ S ̸= NG(y) ∩ S for any two distinct vertices x and y in V (G) \ S. S is a stable locating-dominating set of G if it is a locating-dominating set of G and S \ {v} is a locating-dominating set of G for each v ∈ S. The minimum cardinality of a stable locating-dominating set of G, denoted by γSLD(G), is called the stable locating-domination number of G. In this paper, we investigate this concept and the corresponding parameter for edge corona and lexicographic product of graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper is to reveal numerically the generalized Henon-Heiles system, that is, in the seventh-degree potential function where the smallest body mass varies. Utilizing the seventh degree potential function, we determine the equations of motion for the variable mass generalized Henon-Heiles system. Then we perform the graphical works such as locations of parking points, allowed regions of motion, and attracting domain basins. Lastly, using the Meshcherskii space transformations, we investigate stability states for these parking points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical concept of coronary artery disease (CAD) has seen a paradigm shift over the last decade. CAD is mostly a progressive disease, and patients with CAD can develop acute coronary syndromes at any point in disease progression. In this clinical context, a new term, “chronic coronary syndrome,” was published in the 2019 European Society of Cardiology guidelines, reflecting the importance of early diagnosis and active management. Recent advances have been made in the evaluation of CAD using coronary CT angiography (CCTA). The clinical usefulness of CCTA in patients with stable angina or chronic coronary syndrome begins with the detection of early asymptomatic CAD. The characterization of atherosclerotic plaque and its role in determining treatment strategies for CAD have been demonstrated for all stages of the disease. This review describes the pathophysiology of stable angina to aid in the understanding of the clinical applications of CCTA.

Background: Intertrochanteric fractures of femur are one of the most common fractures encountered in the elderly population. Dynamic hip screw (DHS) with a side plate is the standard modality of treatment especially in the case of stable fractures because it creates a controlled collapse at fracture site, leading to union. A comparative study between minimally invasive surgical technique with the conventional surgical technique for the fixation of intertrochanteric fractures with the DHS device was done. Methods: Thirty patients with stable intertrochanteric fractures (31A1.1, 31A1.2, and 31A1.3) were treated with the conventional open technique and another thirty with a new minimally invasive technique. Patients in both groups were followed up for at least 9 months. Results: There was less preoperative and postoperative blood loss, less soft-tissue destruction, less pain postoperatively, shorter hospital stays, and early mobilization and faster union with the minimally invasive technique. Conclusion: The study concludes that minimally invasive technique is superior to conventional (open) DHS in stable fractures.

Idiopathic slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a known disorder in pre/adolescent children with vague hip/knee pain. We wished to study the demographic differences between stable varus, unstable varus, and valgus idiopathic SCFEs using a retrospective review over a 10-year period of SCFE children seen at a tertiary children’s hospital. Standard demographic data was collected, and radiographs were measured to determine the Southwick angle and status of the tri-radiate cartilage. There were 190 patients; 138 had stable varus SCFEs, 45 unstable varus SCFEs, and 7 valgus SCFEs. All unstable SCFEs were varus, and all valgus SCFEs were stable. There were significant differences between the three groups by age at diagnosis, sex, race, SCFE severity, weight percentile, and duration of symptoms. The average age at diagnosis was 11.0 ± 1.2, 11.8 ± 1.8, and 12.3 ± 1.7 years for the valgus, unstable varus, and stable varus groups (p = 0.019), and similarly, SCFE severity was 25° ± 15°, 48° ± 18°, and 35° ± 19° (p = 0.0002) for the three same groups. Patients with valgus SCFEs were mostly female (86%) compared to the stable varus (39.9%) and unstable (47%) groups (p = 0.05) and mostly non-White (86%) (0.011). The duration of symptoms was 4.1 ± 4.1, 2.3 ± 5.0, and 4.5 ± 5.0 months for the valgus, unstable varus, and stable varus groups (p = 0.00005). These three types of idiopathic SCFEs demonstrated differences by age at diagnosis, sex, race, weight percentile, and duration of symptoms.

Inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of COPD by interfering with the protease/antiprotease and oxidant/antioxidant balance. There is no adequate data about the relationship between oxidative stress biomarkers and FEV1 values in stable COPD patients. Prospective cohort study, designed in tertiary care chest disease hospitals' outpatient clinic. COPD patients were approved informed consent were included in the study. The total antioxidant status (TAS,), total oxidant status (TOS), total thiol (TT), native thiol (NT), IL1 IL6, and TNFα levels were measured. The mean age of 33 COPD patients who joined the study was 61±9,32 years, while their average body mass index (BMI) was 27±4,31 kg/m2. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of age, gender, weight, smoking status and comorbidities. According to the results of the analysis, there was a statistically significant difference in TOS, TAS, oxidative stress index (OSI), TT, NT, DIS, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα between the control and COPD patient groups (p<0.001 for all variables). Compared to healthy controls, COPD patients had greater TOS, OSI, disulfide (DIS), IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα levels. Healthy controls, had considerably higher TAS, TT, and NT values than the COPD group. No significant correlation was detected between the pulmonary function test results and oxidative stress markers. In conclusion, no significant correlation was detected between the pulmonary function test results and oxidative stress markers besides TOS was increased while TAS was decreased, in accordance with the pathophysiology of COPD, oxidative stress markers can also be utilized in COPD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal halide perovskites have recently been reported as excellent scintillators for X-ray detection. However, perovskite based scintillators are susceptible to moisture and oxygen atmosphere, such as the water solubility of CsPbBr3, and oxidation vulnerability of Sn2+, Cu+. The traditional metal halide scintillators (NaI: Tl, LaBr3, etc.) are also severely restricted by their high hygroscopicity. Here we report a new kind of lead free perovskite with excellent water and radiation stability, Rb2Sn1-x TexCl6. The equivalent doping of Te could break the in-phase bonding interaction between neighboring octahedra in Rb2SnCl6, and thus decrease the electron and hole dimensionality. The optimized Te content of 5% resulted in high photoluminescence quantum yield of 92.4%, and low X-ray detection limit of 0.7 µGyair s−1. The photoluminescence and radioluminescence could be maintained without any loss when immersing in water or after 480,000 Gy radiations, outperforming previous perovskite and traditional metal halides scintillators.

Potato is the third major food crop in the world. In Northern Bangladesh, potato production outside the regular growing season can contribute to farmers’ profit and prices can be very favorable as consumers’ demand for potatoes is greater than the decreased, off-season supply. However, potato production may be negatively affected by increased pest and disease pressure and higher soil temperature. We hypothesized that some potato varieties would have smaller tuber yield reduction when they are grown outside the normal season. The objective of this experiment was to find out promising genotypes for earlier cultivation prior to mid of November, cultivation in northern regions of Bangladesh. The trials, corresponding to very early, early, normal and late growing seasons were planted using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Germination percent, plant height, stems per hill, marketable tuber yield at 65 days, marketable tuber yield at 90 days were recorded. For yield and components of yield contributing characters Clone 13.17, BARI Alu 7(Diamant) and Arizona outperformed in all growing condition and had wider adaptability and stability of tuber yield based on Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI).

As expected, this benefit in health status was a function of symptom burden at baseline, being primarily driven by patients who had more frequent symptoms at baseline. Following the lead of the ISCHEMIA investigators, incorporating routine collection of patient-reported outcomes as key end points for clinical trials will be a major step toward provision of patient-centered care. Heterogeneity of treatment effect analyses that identify the clinical characteristics of individual patients who gain large improvements in health status versus those who do poorly can further enhance the applicability of these results for shared decision making with our patients. [Extracted from the article]

Gel-based ionic conductors are promising candidates for flexible electronics, serving as stretchable sensors or electrodes. However, most of them suffer from a short operating life, low conductivity and rely on an external power supply, limiting their practical application. Herein, we report a stable organogel ionic conductor with high conductivity and self-powering ability. Briefly, lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate, as a conductive salt, provides high conductivity and the poly(1,1-difluoroethylene) layers, as a self-powering system, supply stable energy output under the influence of pressure. Moreover, the proposed conductors withstand long-term and multi-cycle durability tests. The prepared auxiliary training device can withstand the impact of a basketball and detect the impact force, showing potential in passive sensing during practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be an undirected graph with vertex and edge sets V (G) and E(G), respectively. A set S ⊆ V (G) is a hop independent set of G if any two distinct vertices in S are not at a distance two from each other, that is, dG(v, w) ≠ 2 for any distinct vertices v, w ∈ S. The maximum cardinality of a hop independent set of G, denoted by αh(G), is called the hop independence number of G. In this paper, we show that the absolute difference of the independence number and the hop independence number of a graph can be made arbitrarily large. Furthermore, we determine the hop independence numbers of some graphs including those resulting from some binary operations of graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the stability issue of switched continuous-time linear systems composed of stable and unstable subsystems. By using a class of homogeneous polynomial Lyapunov functions, sufficient stability criterion ensuring the globally asymptotic stability of the considered systems under dwell-time constraint. An example is provided to illustrate the theoretical results in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Growing up on a cattle farm and consuming raw cow's milk protects against asthma and allergies. We expect a cattle‐specific protein as active component in this farm effect. Methods: Dust was collected from cattle and poultry stables and from mattresses of households. Urine was obtained from cattle, and ambient aerosols were sampled. Samples were analysed for BLG by SDS PAGE/immunoblot and mass spectrometry, and for association with metals by SEC‐ICP‐MS. PBMC of healthy donors were incubated with BLG +/− zinc, and proliferation and cytokines determined. BALB/c mice were pre‐treated intranasally with stable dust extract containing BLG or depleted of BLG, and subsequent allergy response after sensitization was evaluated on antibody and symptom level. Results: A major protein in dust from cattle farms and ambient air was identified as BLG. Urine from female and male cattle is a major source of BLG. In dust samples, BLG was associated with zinc. In vitro, zinc‐BLG provoked significantly lower proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ cells while inducing significantly higher levels of IFN‐γ and IL‐6 than the apo‐BLG devoid of zinc. In vivo, pre‐treatment of mice with dust extract containing BLG resulted in lower allergy symptom scores to BLG and unrelated Bet v 1 than pre‐treatment with extract depleted of BLG. These in vitro and in vivo effects were independent of endotoxin. Conclusion: The lipocalin BLG is found in large amounts in cattle urine, accumulates in bovine dust samples and is aerosolized around farms. Its association with zinc favorably shapes the human cellular immune response towards Th1‐cytokines in vitro. BLG together with zinc in stable dust protects mice from allergic sensitization. BLG with its associated ligands may in an innate manner contribute to the allergy‐protective farm effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to define a new Jungck-Kirk type iteration method and to examine the convergence result under appropriate conditions together with other Jungck-Kirk type iteration methods in the literature. It is also to analyze whether the newly defined iteration method is stable. In addition, it has been shown through numerical examples that the new iteration method has a better convergence rate than the others. Finally, to show the validity of convergence and stability results, some examples are given. The results obtained in this paper may be interpreted as a refinement and improvement of the previously known results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Based on an L1 interpolation operator, a new high-order compact finite volume scheme is derived for the 2D multi-term time fractional sub-diffusion equation. It is shown that the difference scheme is unconditionally convergent and stable in L ∞ $L_{\infty }$ -norm. The convergence order is O ( τ 2 − α + h 1 4 + h 2 4 ) $O(\tau ^{2-\alpha }+h_{1}^{4}+h_{2}^{4})$ , where τ is the temporal step size and h 1 $h_{1}$ is the spatial step size in one direction, h 2 $h_{2}$ is the spatial step size in another direction. Two numerical examples are implemented, testifying to their efficiency and confirming their convergence order.

The aim of the study was to analyse selected air parameters in a stable (microclimate) and the basic physiological parameters of horses housed in the stable in different seasons of the year. The research material was 12 adult hot-blooded horses kept in a brick stable with stalls. Air parameters in the stable (temperature in the passageway, temperature in the stall at two points, relative humidity in the passageway, and relative humidity in the stall at two points) were determined four times in one year, in summer, autumn, winter and spring. Measurements were made with a Bluetooth BLE-LOGGER LB-518 battery-operated cordless thermo-hygrometer at 12 noon at five points in the stable located 300 cm apart. Physiological parameters of the horses, i.e. internal body temperature (Veterinär SC 12 veterinary thermometer), heart rate (Polar ELECTRO OY RS800CX with PolarProTrainer 5.0. software), and respiratory rate (with a manual stopwatch) were measured at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on each day of the study. The season of the year was found to have a significant influence on the microclimate of the stable. To ensure optimal air humidity, airing of the stable should be limited only in winter and periodically in autumn. It is also worth emphasizing that the stable microclimate has a marked effect on the basic physiological parameters of horses. High temperature and relative humidity in the stable can cause unfavourable changes in the form of an increase in evening body temperature in the summer and a decrease in the winter. The remaining parameters, i.e. heart rate and respiratory rate, can also unfavourably increase, mainly in the summer. Horses should have fewer problems maintaining normal physiological parameters in winter, even fewer in autumn, and the fewest in spring.

The idea behind the neutrosophic set is we can connect the concept by dynamics of opposite interacts and its neutral that are uncertain and get common parts. Automata theory is beneficial to solve computational complexity problem and also it is an influential mathematical modeling tool in computer science. Inspired by the concepts of neutrosophic sets and automata theory, here, we are introducing and discussing the algebraic concept of neutrosophic finite automata based on the paper [10]. Generally, composite machines can be achieved by the output of the one machine that will be used as input for another machines. This paper introduced the concept of composite automata under the environment of the neutrosophic set and also examined the box function between the composite neutrosophic finite automata.